WPD hails success of short-term flexibility market trial

Western Power Distribution (WPD) has completed the first of two trials of a new flexibility market that aims to bring procurement closer to real time, whilst ensuring trades by distribution network operators (DNOs) do not create an imbalance on the wider power grid.

Transactions were conducted on the NODES Shortflex market developed by the Nord Pool power exchange and the Norwegian and Agder Energi, with WPD posting its requirements a few days ahead for the first phase of its Intraflex project running between August and September.

The company procured 25MWh of flexibility services from five providers across 242 trades, each covering one half-hour settlement period. The largest single trade was for 1.5MW of flexible capacity.

WPD posted requirements on Friday for the following Monday, and on Monday for the following Wednesday. Some were matched within 10 minutes of being uploaded and others less than two hours ahead of the delivery period.

The DNO said the trial has revealed differences in behaviours between technology types and added that bids had generally been by volume and timing requirements rather than price. For the second trial beginning in Spring 2021, the company is aiming to increase volumes and expand into day-ahead and intraday trading.

“Following the success of phase one of the trial, we are delighted to confirm that we will be continuing into phase two in spring 2021,” said Intraflex project manager Matt Watson. “This will focus on increasing the flexibility volumes on the platform as well as tweaking the platform and the surrounding processes to make them more scalable and easier to roll out.

“The use of a continuously clearing marketplace presents a number of new opportunities in terms of how we procure services. The work in phase one has shown it can be done, helped us build our understanding and has highlighted a number of ways forward. We are excited to start building to phase two where we can trial options that become more viable with scale.”

Among the participants was Ovo’s smart energy subsidiary Kaluza, whose head of flexibility, Conor Maher-McWilliams, said: “Creating a decentralised and decarbonised energy system full of flexible, low-carbon technologies will only work if we can coordinate charging at scale to support network balancing. IntraFlex has enabled Kaluza’s domestic flex technology to optimise charging across a wide range of smart devices in real time.

“Working with NODES and WPD, we have been able to demonstrate a fully automated, API driven, machine-to-machine service delivery using electric vehicle smart chargers, V2G charge points, and home batteries for the first time in the UK.

“This collaborative achievement provides the template for how to ramp up flexibility services to millions of in-home devices over the next decade.”

Recruitment for phase two will begin the new year.